The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for browsing an image database and more particularly to method and apparatus for browsing an image database based on a known texture of a desired document.
With the broad diffusion of low cost permanent electronic storage devices and scanners for electronically capturing document images, creation and storage of large document image databases become possible. Applications of such image databases include electronic libraries, medical documents, administrative records, news clippings, maps, government forms, manuals, etc. In general, it is now often less expensive to scan a document and store it on an electronic storage medium than to physically store the document.
Such large document image databases present the problem of identifying and retrieving desired documents from the database. One known technique for querying a document database is to search for a text string or combination of text strings that would likely be found in a desired document. For scanned documents, this technique relies on accurate optical character recognition which may not always be feasible. Also, it is often difficult to generate a text string or strings which are both found in a desired document and sufficiently distinguish the desired document from others.
Often a user knows something about how a desired document looks. It would be beneficial to use this information in querying a document image database.